Bike Waikato August 2025 Newsletter

In this newsletter from Bike Waikato:

• Message From the Committee: Local Elections Are Here – Voting takes place Tuesday 9 September to midday Saturday 11 October 2025
• Join Cycle Action Network
• Demanding Action from NZTA – An Update
• When Bike Lanes Are Not Enough: A Public Lecture (20 October 2025)
• Update on the Waikato District Annual Plan

Message From the Committee: Local Elections Are Here

Voting is Important – Words from Bike Auckland

It is really important to vote in the upcoming local elections. You can read this article from Bike Auckland about the importance of having your say 👉 https://www.bikeauckland.org.nz/why-voting-matters-for-people-who-bike/

Questionnaire for Candidates – What Questions Do You Have?

We are in the process of putting together a questionnaire to send to candidates across the Waikato. We will then be using a rating system to show how friendly they are to multimodal transport options.

If you have questions you would like us to include, message us at our Facebook page or flick us an email at [email protected].

The last day to send us questions is Sunday 31st August so we can get the questionnaire to candidates ASAP and develop an informed scorecard for you all well before voting closes.

Election Mythbusting

It is local election season, so misinformation and appeals to bad faith are rife in our communities. Have you heard these myths about cycling and transport choice during the local elections?

We have compiled some information about how you can respond to these myths. Read the article on our website: https://bikewaikato.org.nz/election-mythbusting-2025/ 

Save Our Streets Rally

Imagine a future Kirikiriroa Hamilton that is safe for cyclists, walkers, and wheelchair users, less congested with better air quality, and more fun to be in!

Our friends at Living Streets have organised a candidate event and rally for the upcoming local elections. Our very own Co-Chairperson Melissa Smith will be speaking and representing Bike Waikato.

Support the city you want from 11am–12.30pm on Saturday 6 September at the Meteor Theatre (1 Victoria Street).

Come hear invited local government candidates discuss their vision for our streets, then join us for a short walking tour of the CBD and guided discussion of good, bad and ugly city transport planning.

PS – Voting takes place Tuesday 9 September to midday Saturday 11 October 2025!

Join Cycle Action Network

Did you know that we used to be Cycle Action Waikato? We rebranded as Bike Waikato only a few years ago.

In the past, we worked closely with the national organisation Cycle Action Network – even sharing members. Due to the recent changes to the Incorporated Societies register, this is no longer permitted.

We have worked directly with their advocates in the past and even networked directly with them during the Cycle Action Network conference in 2024. Their website is full of wonderful resources (see their website here: https://www.can.org.nz/), and they do excellent work.

Just as us, they need members to stay financially afloat. It is worth considering joining their organisation.

Demanding Action from NZTA – An Update

Last month, in the wake of yet another “cycling accident”, we reported on the conversations we initiated with Hamilton City Councillors, the Minister for the Transport, and the Members of Parliament for Hamilton East and West.

We now have another update to share on our conversations with the New Zealand Transport Agency.

We wrote to the Chief Executive Brent Alderton to request that immediate action be taken to address the danger presented by trucks and large vehicles on our road. He told us: “[our] role is to operationalise the current legislation and does not have the authority to create new rules or regulations”. This is a really frustrating response in light of the action taken by the Transport Authority to regulate bike racks on buses earlier in the year.

Why are visibility issues for bike racks on buses considered an urgent enough issue to issue an industry alert, but not visibility issues for trucks and large vehicles? How many people need to be injured or die before someone takes responsibility?

Mr Alderton advised us to contact the Minister for Transport for further action. As we reported in our previous update, Minister Bishop did not provide an adequate response. He also advised us of an upcoming submission opportunity for mandating additional safety requirements for vehicle imports later in the year.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

The letters and some responses are now available on our website: https://bikewaikato.org.nz/letter-lack-of-cycling-infrastructure-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-urgent-action-is-needed/ 

When Bike Lanes Are Not Enough: A Public Lecture

Bike Waikato invites you to a public lecture for Biketober 2025 (October)!

Melissa Smith is not only the Co-Chairperson of Bike Waikato but a published researcher. Since completing a Master of Environmental Planning in 2024, Melissa has presented their research at the New Zealand Planning Institute conference, the University of Waikato Postgraduate Conference, and the Mathematical Societies Conference. In July 2024, their research was accepted for publication in the international urban planning journal Cities.

Their research investigates classifications of bicycle infrastructure and networks and the relationship between those classifications, network connectivity, and cycling uptake in major cities. It creates a new methodology for local Governments to assess local cycling networks and demonstrates an empirical relationship between connected, low-stress cycling networks and the proportion of people cycling for everyday transportation needs.

The lecture is approximately 40 minutes long and will be followed by questions. The lecture will be held at Trust Waikato: 4 Little London Lane, Hamilton.

Update on the Waikato District Annual Plan

We previously submitted to the Waikato District Council Long Term Plan. Unfortunately, the Council has decided to not fund additional maintenance for roads and footpaths, which we find disappointing.

You can read our submission on our website here: https://bikewaikato.org.nz/submission-waikato-district-council-long-term-plan/ 

More information from the Council is here: https://www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/your-council/plans-policies-and-bylaws/plans/long-term-plan